plug looking great . plaster is so soft and takes days to dry out ,it gets hot too as it sets. and can set really fast . if you want low cost than i guess face coats are out . it cost some bucks . basicly face coat is brushed on to the finished plug that is waxed and pva'd. a thick coat @ 1/16" is brushed on allowed to cure to tack free then glassed over with fiber glass. you will need a face coat that works with plaster . we used "Hemp" to give the palster reinforcement. hemp is a straw like material .i bet half of a plaster mold would weigh 50-60 lbs. if the plug survives your casting ,i might be interested in making a glass mold of it watch the "draft" of the parts so the mold will come off if draft is positive it will lock the plug in the mold. an exsample would be the canopy ...they are larger dia in the middle and then curve in at the base,this shape requires that the parting plane be down the middle of the canopy .a l/h and r/h halfves. a top and bottom mold would not work. hope this makes since.

I have it on my computer, it sure is a good one. Did you know that the Blue Angels actually flew the F11F-1 from 57-69, it must have been a good flying aircraft for them to keep on using it for so many years after it was decommissioned from carrier duty (in 61 or 62).

Thanks for passing along the info and cool video, it sounds like it’s more than I want get involved in. I wish you weren’t on the other side of the country I would like to see that process. I will try the casting method out on some small parts first like Dan before moving on to the real deal. I’m thinking about making the duct inlets separate at about 3in’s back then I can add the gun details and work over the inside lead up to the duct easier. I’m thinking It will also allow me to cut the fuse plug at an angle for an eraser release. The fuse looks to be sanded into shape, I will keep picking at it till all of the cut-outs fit just right. I cut a piece of foam board for a test tail and I really like the look of this jet.

And I agree on the idea of cutting off the front part of the inlets and to mold them as separate pieces, that would also make it easy to incorporate the gap between the splitter plate and fuselage. Details like that really makes a plane like this look good.

I had the same thought Arngeir, it will give that area some great detail.

Rodg, I shipped 2 complete scratch built F-15 50in pushers in one box to Phoenix for a friend that just had to have them, it can be done. I hope my try wonít ruin them so it might be possible if needed. I made the foam laminated so it can split right down the middle to make it easy to get the halves. Snowed in and maybe no work tomorrow so the fuse should be ready for the next step soon.

Yes, I will build a plywood box and maybe add some rebar along the sides so it wonít snap in half. I think either fill the box and sink the supported fuse half in to the plaster or add a foam bottom and silicone the fuse half down flat then flip the box and remove and hope the mold release does its job. I believe thatís how Dan has been making his parts.

I plan on painting the fuse to start and then spackle and sand. Then for the final coats add epoxy paint like you guided me on the duct plugs. Not sure what more would be needed than that to get it ready. The split it down the middle with finished halfs and just clean up the edges.